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Dr. Noel Patoi] 



[Nov. 10, 



and the question considered is, how far the process of conversion of 

 glycogen to sugar is dependent or independent of the life of the liver 

 cells. 



To determine this, the rate of conversion of glycogen to glucose in 

 the excised liver, roughly minced, and kept at from 37 to 40 C. in 

 normal salt solution, was first investigated. The object of the experi- 

 ments not being to keep the liver cells alive as long as possible, but to 

 differentiate between changes during the life of the cells and after 

 their death, normal salt solution was used in preference to defibrinated 

 blood. 



Instead of estimating the sugar, as in Seegen's and Dalton's experi- 

 ments, the glycogen was directly determined. For the analyses, the 

 method of Briicke was found more suitable than that of Kiilz. The 

 sources of error of the method are considered at length. 



The following table gives a summary of the results of the experi- 

 ments upon this subject, and shows that during the first half hour the 

 conversion of glycogen is very rapid, that it steadily diminishes 

 during the remainder of the first hour, and after this goes on very 

 slowly. 



The relationship of the early rapid and the subsequent slow change 

 of the glycogen to the condition of the liver cells is next considered, 

 under these heads : 



